Worcester Business Journal

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Simply deposit $10,000 or more and conduct 10 debits and 10 credits OR sign up for our Clover card payment services * . 800.581.5363 Also Get a Special Discount on Equipment ** ing Southbridge-based Green Mead- ows, which plans to open its third retail location in Marlborough sometime in 2025, but many cannabis businesses are struggling to maintain themselves in the current market. Recent casualties include Society Cannabis Co. in Graon, which closed in April, and Indo Laboratories, a Marlborough-based cannabis testing lab shuttered in September. An Indo employee cited some clients' inability to pay their bills as a large reason for the lab's closure, and Society was hit with a $61,000 lawsuit from an HVAC installer months before it shut its doors. All of this comes as the average price of a gram of cannabis has fallen from $13.94 in June 2021 to $5.06 in June of this year, according to data provided by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. While there are more banking op- tions for cannabis businesses compared to the immediate years aer legalization in 2016, cannabis' status as an illegal drug at the federal level continues to limit funding opportunities for small businesses like Wonderland. e litany of strict regulations facing cannabis businesses add to the woes of businesses that don't have large corporate backing. Wonderland had to pay rent for months while awaiting local and state approval to open, said Michael St. Onge. "e way it is in the state now is basically the rules are set up so busi- nesses can barely sustain themselves," he said. "ere's no cannabis funding; you can't go and go to a banker or get a loan from a bank, so they force you to either be bought out by a big cannabis conglomerate or use your own money. at's how we ended up using our own money. We don't want to be a big busi- ness. We like being mom and pop, and we love our employees." Many of the products on the wholesale market in Massachusetts are produced by large companies, but Wonderland and its nine employees have sought to find space on the menu for cannabis cultivated by small, locally owned growers. Wonderland's menu includes products from smaller cra growers like Tower ree in Taunton and RiverRun Gardens in Newburyport. Located at the bottom of the hill which is the site of e Shops at Black- stone Valley, a large shopping plaza home to major retailers and attrac- tions like Target, Barnes & Noble and Blackstone Valley 14 Cinema de Lux, Carol and Michael are hopeful their reasonable product pricing will attract longtime consumers and curious new- comers alike, sustaining the momen- tum created by the grand opening. "It's just the most amazing space and our staff, we can't say enough about how dedicated our staff is and how the customers keep coming back," said Carol. "ey're coming back because our product is competitive." All artwork and decorations inside the store were either produced by local artists or family and friends. W Wonderland's sales floor includes a set-up where customers can examine cannabis flower before purchasing.

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